







In English we use the present simple tense to talk about facts or things that are always true, as well as things in general. Present simple is also used to talk about a repeated action such as a habit, a hobby, a daily event, a scheduled event or something that often happens.
In English we use 'do' and 'does' as auxiliary verbs in negatives and questions and we often use the present simple with adverbs of frequency such as sometimes, always, often, never, usually, rarely, and hardly ever.
Notes for use of present simple :
In the third person, ‘s’ is added to the verb form. For example;
work --> works
run --> runs
live --> lives
For verbs that end in 'o', 'sh', 'ch', 's' and 'x', we add 'es' to the verb form. For example;
go --> goes
wish --> wishes
watch --> watches
kiss --> kisses
fax --> faxes
For verbs that end in a consonant + 'y', we change the 'y' to 'i' and add 'es'. For example;
try --> tries
study --> studies
The table below shows the different forms of present simple :
Example Verb : Work | I / You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | ... work. | ... works. |
| Negative | ... don't work. | ... doesn't work. |
Questions | Do ... work? | Does ... work? |
| Short answers | Yes, ... do. / No, ... don't. | Yes, ... does. / No, ... doesn't. |
For the verb 'to be' we use 'am', 'is', 'are' in the present simple. No auxiliary verbs are used in negative sentences and questions.
Verb: Be | I | You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | I'm ... | ... 're ... | ... 's ... |
| Negative | I'm not ... | ... aren't ... | ... isn't ... |
| Questions | Am I ... ? | Are ... ...? | Is ... ...? |
| Short answers | Yes, I am. / No, I'm not. | Yes, ... are. / No, ... aren't. | Yes, ... is. / No, ... isn't. |
Present Simple Example Sentences :
Positive Examples of Present Simple :
Negative Examples of Present Simple :
Question Examples of Present Simple :
| Present simple example sentences | |
|---|---|
| Does that help you to believe me? | |
| Who knows, I consider it as nothing more than a hobby. | |
| Anyway, this is Cate and her friends from work. | |
| Set times always stress me out. | |
| Yeah, that's a good idea. | |
| No, because she is mental and can harm Pogo or Bear! | |
| Ah, I can't eat the breast, it's too dry for me! | |
| What's the time, are we early? | |
| Do you want me to tell her that you are here? | |
| You never pick Bear's poo up from the pavement. | |
| I think I did, too, but I've got a really bad headache! | |
| I have two more lessons, I finish at three thirty. | |
| Do you remember me? | |
| Good boy, Beary! See, he is just a little friend. | |
| I'm a bit paranoid about it. | |
| Is it possible not to be able to find return tickets? | |
| All of my work is in that laptop and I don't have any backup! | |
| Because I'm sure they don't serve bugs in London! | |
| He is one of my best friends, unfortunately. | |
| You were explaining why you are here at 07:30 in the morning. | |